Hats Off To The Weekend

• Hat Lost
• Weekend Spent Listening
• i-find i-phone

I lost my hat about a week ago.
Opinion has been divided about my new hatless apsect.
Tanya Huang (left) has said "We need to get you a new hat," after looking at me with a frown.
Dorise (right) has said "Your natural hair looks good; you don't need to cover it with a hat." and that Tanyas opinion was just "the opinion of one person." ...well, so is yours, Dorise...
Paul (of Doreens Jazz Band) has said that the hatless look is good for when I am just walking around, but that a hat helps tips when performing.
And I would like to post pictures of my new hatless look and probably would be able to if I hadn't sold the i-phone last night...
i-am an idiot?
I found an i-phone laying on Royal Street last (Tuesday) night.
I picked it up and stood in the area for a minute to see if someone came and asked "Did anyone find an i-phone laying in the street?"
Nobody did, and an investigation of the phone revealed it to be brand new without even pictures or music or messages on it.
I approched one of the street sweepers, a Spanish lady whom I have spoken with a few times in the past, to ask her opinion of what I should do with the phone -how much could I sell it for, etc. -
Her eyes lit up when she saw it and she just about grabbed it from me and seemed to think that I was turning it in to her -her being a street sweeper, and maybe myself thinking that it is part of their job to put things that they find while sweeping into a "lost and found" box or something -
"You give to me?" she asked.
I told her that I had found it; but that I was going to try to find the owner and contact him/her. Maybe they would give me a reward; or maybe I would negotiate a reward before even agreeing to meet them somewhere and return the thing.
I went to show her that the phone was alive and well and I turned it on; only to have the battery die at that exact moment and the screen go blank.
"No, is broken, this is trash; I give you 5 dollars," said the Spanish street sweeper whom I had been friendly with a few times.
...if it is "trash and no good;" why are you offering 5 dollars?...I thought.
Then I thought that she was playing me for a fool and thought that I was the class of person to jump at 5 dollars; seeing not the forest for the 5 beers.
I told her that the phone had just been working, and I had seen it with my own eyes, but that the battery was down to one bar and it had just quit.
I suggested that I would charge the thing up and show it to her again the next day.
"I'll buy it from you!" said a guy with a crew cut; who offered 10 dollars.
I hesitated and he upped his offer to 20 bucks; which is what I sold the thing for; thinking that he was going to have to pay to have it unlocked and then pay for activation etc; and that the actual phone itself was pretty worthless otherwise.
I was also trying to show the Spanish lady that if she had given me any "reasonable" offer on the $350 phone, rather than take me for a fool, then she could have gotten it for pennies on the dollar.
Well, word soon spread that I (had) had an i-phone for sale and I was approached by at least a couple other Spanish guys who work at Hotel Montleone, and who it seems are in communication with every other Spanish person in the Quarter.
"You have i-phone for sale?"
"No, I sold it."
"To the lady?"
"No, she didn't believe me when I told her that it worked fine; she offered me 5 bucks." I said.
They walked off; clearly disappointed.
I guess those phones are prized by people; perhaps the same way that certain brands of sneakers are.
I got back to the camp and was informed by Rob that he would have given me 60 dollars for it.
I was kicking myself all morning over it. I could have kept it myself and used it for loading pictures to this blog, even.
But then I heard that there is a store on Broad Street which pays only 25 dollars for i-phones and that many people chose sell the ones that they find on the street for that; because if the phone is reported stolen then the person holding it faces a considerable jail sentence; due to the price ($350) of the new phone constituting more than a civil charge.
Thunderstorm Today
There is supposed to be a thunderstorm today and I can hear it rumbling outside already.
.